Pixar Promotes ‘Turning Red’ Filmmakers Lindsey Collins, Domee Shi

Disney’s Oscar-winning director  joins the studio’s Braintrust, while the producer takes a leadership position in development.

Following the critical success and strong streaming performance of its latest feature film Turning Red, Pixar Animation Studios has elevated the pic’s producer Lindsey Collins and director Domee Shi into leadership roles.

In her newly created position as SVP of development, Collins (pictured left) will head up the studio’s development team for features and streaming, as well as supporting chief creative officer Pete Docter in steering Pixar’s creative direction. She reports to president Jim Morris.

Collins most recently produced coming-of-age movie Turning Red, which Disney sent exclusively to streamer Disney+ on March 11, bypassing a scheduled March theatrical release, much to the chagrin of a number of Pixar staffers. Despite the decision, the release was the top film premiere on Disney+ in the streamer’s history.

The producer has worked at the studio for over two decades, and has served as a co-producer of WALL-E and producer of Finding Dory. She’s also worked as vice president of development, overseeing the creative direction of Pixar’s SparkShorts program.

“As I reflect on my 25 years at Pixar, the pride and gratitude I have is surpassed only by the excitement I feel stepping into this new role,” Collins shared in a statement. “Pixar has always been a place that seeks to delight and surprise audiences and I am thrilled to be able to expand on that legacy and help shape what comes next, surrounded by some of the most diverse, unique, and inspiring filmmakers and voices working today.”

Meanwhile, Turning Red director Shi (pictured right) is now Pixar’s fourth VP of creative, joining Andrew Stanton, Peter Sohn and Dan Scanlon in mentoring the studio’s filmmakers on their own projects as part of the Pixar Braintrust. She reports to both Morris and Docter.

Since joining Pixar in 2011 as a story intern, Shi moved up the ranks to serve in storyboard positions on Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4. After becoming a director in 2017, she made headlines the following year when her short film Bao won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. With Turning Red, Shi became the first woman to solo-direct a Pixar feature in the studio’s 36-year history.